* One of our greatest American songwriters will play us out…
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It’s a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they’re better left unsung
I don’t know, don’t really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who’s to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
[New Jersey] Governor Phil Murphy today signed into law legislation sponsored by Senator Troy Singleton and Senator Linda Greenstein that will require independent advocacy committees to disclose their donors, bringing greater transparency to organizations that work to influence the political process. The new law will require the so-called “dark money” groups to make public their expenditures and donors.
None of us expected the opponents of this legislation – some well-intentioned, some not – to just go away quietly. However, I was disappointed and dismayed earlier this month when I read about the groups bringing legal challenges against the law. One group involved in the litigation, the Illinois Opportunity Project, is particularly concerning.
The Illinois Opportunity Project is a “free-market” conservative group out of Chicago, Illinois, who has announced their intent to try to influence public policy here in New Jersey. In Illinois, this group is actively trying to silence the voice of voters through its efforts to have the legislative maps redrawn. It also hasn’t gone unnoticed that they are represented by the Liberty Justice Center, which led the charge in the Janus v. AFSCME decision. This group worked diligently to silence the voice of workers through its legal actions. The Janus decision effectively undermined the organizing rights of workers to create better conditions in their workplace.
Now, the Illinois Opportunity Project wants to undermine New Jersey’s voters. It has turned its focus on our effort to achieve a more open and transparent political process. It is complaining that under New Jersey’s new dark money law they “would be required to register and disclose its donors to the Commissioners and its sponsorship of certain messages.” Well, that’s exactly the point.
But, New Jersey’s dark money law is not this group’s only target. The Illinois Opportunity Project is trying to undo campaign finance laws in Montana that require greater disclosure for businesses seeking state contracts.
The Illinois Opportunity Project “team” includes Dan Proft, Matthew Besler and Pat Hughes. The Liberty Justice Center is a project of the Illinois Policy Institute. Their complaint is here. From their rationale…
Illinois Opportunity Project is concerned that compelled disclosure of its members and supporters could lead to substantial personal and economic repercussions for its contributors. Across the country, individual and corporate donors to political candidates and issue causes are being subject to boycotts, harassment, protests, career damage and even death threats for publicly engaging in the public square. Illinois Opportunity Project fears that its members and supporters may also encounter similar reprisals if their donations are made public, while supporters of union and business organizations are protected from the same scrutiny.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), at a Select Committee on Modernization hearing, discussed impeachment with former congressman and Obama transportation secretary what advice he would give members of Congress who want to get legislation passed in the midst of impeachment. Then-Congressman Ray LaHood, who chaired impeachment proceedings of former President Bill Clinton in 1998, told members of the committee to avoid impeachment “like the plague.”
LaHood was also recently named by Governor JB Pritzker to serve as chairman of Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s board of directors because of his experience and ability to get things done. […]
Below is a written transcript of the exchange on impeachment between Davis and LaHood at the hearing.
Davis: You had a job to do during the last impeachment proceedings — you chaired the proceedings in the House…
LaHood: Yes..
Davis: You and I have had conversations before about how that impeachment process impacted the ability to get things done…
LaHood: Right.
Davis: Can you give us any examples of how we as the Modernization Committee can offset the inaction and how can we lead to still put good policy forward in the midst of this?
LaHood: Look, impeachment is, um, probably the most controversial, volatile thing. It’s gonna turn this place upside down. If I were where you were, I would avoid it like the plague. This place will never be the same if you go down that road and all of your work will have to come in the next Congress. It will not come in this Congress.
“There’s a lot of anxiety and frustration out there in the ag community,” U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said. “We need a win when it comes to trade. We’re suffering under the trade war with China because we’re not allowed to sell our soybeans and products to China, which is a huge market.”
LaHood said impeachment talk has taken up all the oxygen in Washington.
“And [U.S. House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi needs to put aside partisan politics and instead of being worried about giving the president a win, let’s worry about giving the American worker a win,” LaHood said. “And this will help the workers and it will help the economy here.”
Sean Casten’s next door neighbor, Vietnam veteran and four-time Purple Heart recipient Paul Hall knows who Sean Casten is. He knows Casten’s extreme agenda doesn’t represent him or his neighbors.
Paul wants everyone to know: He is ‘All In’ for Jeanne Ives. The veteran knows that Ives will do what Casten won’t: represent him and his neighbors in government, rather than pushing a radical, big government agenda at the neighborhood block party and across the district
Today, Peter Breen, two-term Illinois State Representative (R-Lombard) and former GOP Floor Leader, announced that he is going back to Springfield. Breen, a champion of taxpayer rights, is returning to the legislative arena to fight the 21 excessive tax and fee hikes that Chicago Democrats have heaped upon Illinois residents this year.
“The General Assembly demands more and more money from Illinois families, with no end in sight,” Breen pointed out. “There’s never any talk of restraining spending, truly balancing budgets, or dealing with our mounting debt. The only concern voiced by Springfield politicians is how much more of your hard earned money they can take from you.”
“I’m going back to Springfield to put a stop to this madness and end the exodus of people and businesses from our state. Illinois government is out of touch and costs its residents way too much,” he added. “I will fight the politicians who keep hiking your taxes while refusing to rein in spending.”
This election presents a clear choice. As a State Representative, Breen led the fight against Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and his spending and tax hikes, while Breen’s opponent, Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn), has repeatedly backed them. Costa Howard’s first act as a state representative was to break her campaign promise to be independent of Mike Madigan: immediately after taking the oath of office, she gave the 48th District’s vote to Madigan, making him Speaker of the House. She then proceeded to do his bidding, voting for his graduated income tax hike, which she had previously promised to oppose, and his plan to spend tens of billions of dollars, over budget, on capital projects – spending paid for by over $250 in new gas and vehicle taxes on every Illinois household.
After thousands of District 48 residents reached out to Costa Howard asking her to oppose radical late-term abortion legislation, she ignored them. Instead, Costa Howard championed the most liberal abortion policies in the nation, including abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy and the removal of Illinois’ parental notice requirement prior to performing an abortion on a minor child.
Breen notes that Costa Howard’s record is “out of step with the families of the 48th District.” He continued, “My opponent has been dishonest with the people of our district. She promised to be ‘independent’ of Mike Madigan and a ‘moderate,’ but instead, she’s ramming through an aggressive liberal agenda, repeatedly hiking taxes and spending, while ignoring the sincere moral beliefs of our neighbors and friends. She can’t and won’t stand up to the corrupt Democrat machine that’s destroying Illinois.”
Breen and his wife, Margie, are the proud parents by adoption of Matthew, age 3, and James, age 1. Those young children are the primary reason for Breen’s recent founding of FairMapsIllinois.com, an effort to put a “Fair Maps” constitutional amendment on the 2020 Illinois ballot, and his own return to elected office.
“Our families, especially young families, deserve effective and efficient government – one that provides necessary services and respects their needs,” stated Breen. “But now, many of our children face a future where they will have to move to other states in order to find opportunities to hold decent jobs, own homes, and raise families. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can turn Illinois around by adopting Fair Maps, to put a stop to gerrymandering and break the hold of Madigan and his cronies on our state government,” he declared.
Breen served as an Illinois State Representative from 2015 to 2019, and as Floor Leader from 2017 to 2019. Recognized as a defender of families and community businesses, Breen passed 32 bills into law, more than any other two-term representative. His legislation saved millions of dollars for Illinois’ small businesses and non-profit organizations, protected seniors from estate-raiding scams, and halted pension spiking in local government.
From 2011 to 2014, Breen served on the Lombard Village Board, and he served as Acting President of Lombard after the untimely death of its long-time Village President, Bill Mueller. In those roles, he cut half a million dollars in excess spending, eliminated the village vehicle tax and sticker, froze property taxes for the first time in 20 years, and led efforts to revitalize downtown Lombard.
In 2018, during the national “blue wave,” Breen lost a tight reelection. In that contest, Costa Howard accepted over $2 million in campaign cash from Madigan, while misleadingly promising voters that she would be independent of him.
Breen is nationally known for his work as a constitutional attorney with the Thomas More Society, where he focuses on First Amendment issues. An Eagle Scout, he holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt and a law degree from Notre Dame.
Breen lost to Costa Howard last year by seven points, 53.5 to 46.5. Donald Trump lost that district in 2016 by 17 points. And he’ll likely be on the ballot again next year.
* This problem needs fixing. Millions of people visit that state park every year and they’re wearing it out…
You can’t hike into Tonti Canyon anymore. The trails are so badly eroded that officials at Starved Rock State Park decided they’re unsafe to tread.
Pam Grivetti fears the park’s remaining major trails also are on borrowed time. She decided somebody needed to get Springfield’s attention and pump some money into the state park — and fast.
Grivetti is president of the Starved Rock Foundation, and she went on a letter-writing blitz to Springfield. She wants every lawmaker and state agency attached to Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks to know: Starved Rock is headed for a tipping point and desperately needs help.
“The No. 1 goal of the Department of Natural Resources is to preserve and protect the resources of the state of Illinois,” Grivetti wrote. “The DNR has been losing the battle at the busiest park in the state and one of the busiest state parks in the nation. […]
[Sen. Sue Rezin] championed a bill to charge a $5 parking fee, with funds allocated for infrastructure and safety. Senate Bill 1310 stalled, however, over a fee exemption for La Salle County residents. Rezin said recently she plans to reintroduce the measure in 2020, though not in the veto session beginning Oct. 28.
The Effingham County Board in a special meeting Wednesday passed a 3.5 percent cannabis retailers’ occupation tax in anticipation of recreational marijuana legalization, which takes effect Jan. 1.
The tax passed 6-2, with board Vice Chairman Dave Campbell and board member Lloyd Foster voting ‘no’.
Board Chairman Jim Niemann said in a recent United Counties Council of Illinois meeting, the consensus among county representatives was to pass a tax to offset the expected cost of enforcement when cannabis becomes legal for recreational use in the state.
“The statistic was they figured each user was going to cost the government about an average of $4.50 a year in added enforcement,” Niemann said. “At the advice of the UCCI, (local governments) are going to legalize it in the towns because they know residents are going to go to a neighboring town and buy some, bring it back, use it, and they’re going to have the cost associated with that.”
I seriously doubt that enforcement costs will rise much, if any. So many people refuse to admit that lots of their constituents are consuming the product now.
The city approved the move of MedMar Lakeview medical marijuana dispensary to a larger spot less than half a mile down the road in the Wrigleyville neighborhood.
Marijuana company Cresco Labs, which owns the medical dispensary, needed to move it to accommodate a growing patient count and demand for medical marijuana, said spokesman Jason Erkes.
“The patient count in Illinois has really been skyrocketing and we don’t have the capacity to accommodate those patients in an appropriate and confidential way,” he said.
The dispensary will go into the space occupied by John Barleycorn tavern.
* Yet another reason why legalization is the way to go…
Seeking answers, NBC News commissioned one of the nation’s leading cannabis testing facilities to test a sampling of THC cartridges — 18 in all — obtained from legal dispensaries and unlicensed dealers. […]
Of the three purchased from legal dispensaries in California, the CannaSafe testing company found no heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents like Vitamin E.
But 13 out of the other 15 samples from black market THC cartridges were found to contain Vitamin E.
CannaSafe also tested 10 of the unregulated cartridges for pesticides. All 10 tested positive.
The products all contained myclobutanil, a fungicide that can transform into hydrogen cyanide when burned.
Hard pass.
* Related…
* Gov. J.B. Pritzker taps state Sen. Toi Hutchinson to oversee pot rollout: “She has thoroughly impressed me with her drive, insight and ability to get big things done,” Pritzker said. “I couldn’t be more proud that she has agreed to join my administration and bring her leadership to our effort at keeping equity at the forefront of the state’s new adult-use cannabis industry.”
* State’s new cannabis czar faces a challenging to-do list: Hutchinson’s involvement is likely to be more critical after Jan. 1, which is when the first new licenses will be awarded for dispensaries, transport companies and “craft” growers. As one of the key legislators on the weed bill, she knows that its social-equity provisions were crucial to getting the bill through the Legislature.
* State Sen. Toi Hutchinson appointed as Illinois’ pot czar: In her new role, Hutchinson will be tasked with publishing a study by March 2021 that probes possible discrimination in the cannabis industry and its effects on the state. The study will include recommendations to the Illinois departments of agriculture and financial and professional regulation “for reducing or eliminating any identified barriers to entry in the cannabis market,” according to the legalization law. Further, Hutchinson will suggest and promote methods to ensure diversity in the industry, coordinate the cannabis-related efforts of various state agencies and make recommendations for policy and rule changes.
Cook County’s public guardian asked a federal judge to stop state officials from changing the health care coverage for 36,000 Illinoisans currently or formerly in foster care, saying the move would violate a decades-old consent decree designed to improve care for the state’s most vulnerable kids.
Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso, alleging the coming transition of 17,100 foster children and 18,800 former youth in care from traditional fee-for-service Medicaid to Medicaid managed care on Nov. 1 would violate a 1991 federal order governing the Department of Children and Family Services. […]
Golbert said a too-fast rollout of the transition would be “in bald violation of DCFS’s promises to the children under the consent decree.”
“It is clear that DCFS’s scheme to precipitously dump tens of thousands of children and youth into the MCO on November 1 is being done without adequate thought or planning,” Golbert wrote. “It is equally clear that this dump will result in wholesale violations of the children’s rights to health care under the consent decree.”
I just don’t get the rush to do this. Thank goodness for Hannah Meisel’s reporting.
The poverty rate for the United States was 11.8% in 2018, a decline of 0.5 percentage points from 2017. There were 38.1 million people in poverty nationwide.
In 2018, 1.5 million Illinoisans were in poverty—a rate of 12.1%. Additionally, 2.0 million Illinoisans are near poor and economically insecure with incomes between 100% and 199% of the federal poverty threshold.
This year marks the first time that the U.S.poverty rate is below pre-recession levels; Illinois lags behind this trend, with its poverty rate just returning to pre-recession levels.
But the Census Bureau also reported that a key measure of income inequality rose to the highest level ever recorded in the United States. The Gini index measures income inequality on a scale from 0 to 1, with 0 being a totally equitable society where everyone has the same and 1 being a society where all wealth is concentrated in one household. The U.S. Gini index rose “significantly higher” from 0.482 in 2017 to 0.485 last year, according to a U.S. Census Bureau news release. When the bureau began compiling the Gini index in 1967 it stood at 0.397. Last year, no European nation had an index higher than 0.38.
The bureau didn’t give a state-by-state breakdown on the Gini index, but reported that most states, including Illinois, saw little or no increase last year. It worsened in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia. Overall, income inequality tended to be worst on the coasts, including California, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, New York, the District of Columbia, and in Puerto Rico.
* We hit the high points of the coordinated federal raids/activities yesterday. Let’s look at a few more tidbits today. WBEZ…
In a statement to WBEZ, a representative for the Internal Revenue Service declined to talk specifics about the raids, but said the “IRS Criminal Investigation [unit] was out on search warrants today in some villages near Chicago.”
A criminal defense lawyer representing Sandoval said the FBI’s activities in the three suburbs Thursday did “not directly” pertain to his client and called the law-enforcement action an “excessive use of federal money.”
He did not elaborate on any possible direct or indirect connections to Sandoval.
“You’d probably have to ask those folks,” attorney Craig Tobin said, referring to the FBI. “The issue is whatever I would know, I can’t disclose to you.”
An FBI spokesman described the visit to McCook, Lyons and the insurance agency as “authorized law enforcement activity,” but he drew a distinction in Summit, calling the visit there “investigative activity.” FBI agents took no records in Summit but interviewed village employees about contracts and licensing, a source said. […]
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said the governor is concerned about the reports of federal activity.
“No elected official in Illinois should use their office to personally profit, and these reports are deeply concerning to the governor,” said spokeswoman Emily Bittner. “The governor expects elected officials to uphold the highest ethical standards, and for anyone who fails, they should be held accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
Gary Perlman, village attorney for McCook, said Thursday that FBI agents executed a search warrant “very early in the morning before the building was even open,” and removed files and other materials.
The warrants were seeking information about several individuals and entities, including contractors that do business with the village, Perlman said. He declined to specify what was being targeted, saying village officials were “still reviewing (the warrants) ourselves.” […]
Meanwhile, a clerk at the Summit village hall said the mayor was not available and she was not aware of any FBI activity there Thursday.
“Cook County is a Democratic county and there are thousands of elected officials, a handful have been raided,” said Preckwinkle, who’s also chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. “It’s painful to hear this. However, the assumption in our criminal justice system is innocent until proven guilty. This is a raid, it may or may not go any further than that.”
Illinois’ state historian says he can’t confirm whether a stovepipe hat that was once the crown jewel of Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln presidential museum actually belonged to the nation’s 16th president.
That previously undisclosed assessment by the now-fired executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Alan Lowe, was made in a June email with a senior aide to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker.
The documents, recently obtained by WBEZ, shed the first light on the workings of state historian Samuel Wheeler, who last year was asked by Lowe to research the hat as questions mounted over its shaky tie to Lincoln.
State emails turned over by the Pritzker administration through an open records request show Wheeler and his associates pored through the vast collection of the Illinois State Archives and through the papers of the hat’s ex-owner, an early 20th century downstate lawmaker.
The criminal investigation into more than a dozen Legionnaires’ disease deaths at the state-run Quincy veterans’ home appears to be focusing, in part, on the errant release of stagnant water into the facility’s hot-water system, new records show.
A criminal grand jury in downstate Adams County, where Quincy is located, issued a subpoena in late August to the Illinois Department of Public Health. It asked for a series of documents pertaining to the mistaken discharge of what a former state public health official characterized as a “broth of Legionella” – a mistake that may have caused the first deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak in 2015.
The document, which the state agency provided WBEZ on Thursday in response to an open-records request, also sought information about the state’s delay in installing special faucet filters first recommended in 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
* Remember when the state passed a law requiring 75 percent of Chicago teachers to vote in favor of authorizing a walkout before a strike could happen? It didn’t stop the CTU in 2012, when 90 percent of teachers and 98 percent of those who cast ballots voted to authorize a strike, and it didn’t stop the CTU this time, either…
The Chicago Teachers Union voted in overwhelming numbers to authorize a strike, union officials announced late Thursday. The union is planning to set a strike date next Wednesday. Teachers likely will walk out in mid-October if no deal is reached by then.
CTU leaders said 94% of members had voted in favor of a strike, surpassing the 75% threshold required by law. Some 90% of the ballots had been counted Thursday night.
The earliest the union’s 25,000 teachers could strike is Oct. 7, though indications from the CTU are that a walkout would come closer to mid-October. […]
With the vote, the CTU joins more than 7,000 members of SEIU Local 73 who already voted in favor of a strike. SEIU represents school support staff workers at CPS who include special education classroom assistants, bus aides, security guards and custodians. Park District workers have also authorized a strike, possibly putting a dent in the city’s usual plan during a teachers’ strike of sending the about 300,000 students at district-run schools to Park District buildings. […]
“We’ve had a very successful launch of the start of school,” the mayor told reporters at a South Side event. “Our kids are involved and engaged in their extra-curricular activities. They’re bonding with their teachers. Having a strike would be catastrophic for the learning environment for our kids. We can’t lose sight of that.
“In our schools, there’s lots of different pieces that go into making that ecosystem the kind of learning environment where our kids can be successful and thrive. Of course teachers are a big part of that but, fundamentally, we’ve got to focus on our kids and keeping them in school,” Lightfoot said. “We know that kids who stay in school are much less likely to be victims of crime and much less likely to be perpetrators of crime, so putting 360,000 kids on the street when a deal is right here at our fingertips, how does that make sense? It doesn’t.”
Davis Gates challenged the mayor, saying the city doesn’t adequately fund after-school programs.
“To immediately go to crime and to try to shift blame to teachers for crime and to label our students as perpetrators is absolutely irresponsible,” Davis Gates said. “… She is out of line and she needs to apologize to our members for making such a gross offensive statement, and she needs to apologize to our students and our families for labeling them as criminals.”
…Adding… Five presidential candidates support the CTU…
* Aside from the fact that owners are supposed to have a direct-line view to their summoned car (wanna bet that they’ll always follow the rule?), notice that this automated system sent the car the wrong way down a one-way passage…
A crusading attorney who has made a career out of fighting City Hall on behalf of pensioners and retirees is joining the crowded race for the Illinois Supreme Court.
Clint Krislov tried to stop the widely-despised parking meter deal. His marathon battle to prevent the city from abolishing its $108 million-a-year subsidy for retiree health care cost him so much time and money, he might have to close his law firm. […]
Krislov is circulating nominating petitions to gather the 5,050 signatures needed by mid-November to become the eighth candidate vying to replace retired Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles Freeman.
Krislov will face [appointed Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville Jr.], as well as appellate court justices Jesse Reyes, Nathaniel Howse, Margaret McBride, Cynthia Cobbs, Sheldon Harris and lawyer Daniel Epstein.
* One of the worst-kept Statehouse secrets this week is that Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) is resigning to oversee implementation of the new cannabis legalization law. She informed Senate President Cullerton yesterday and her law firm today.
Hutchinson will oversee the activities of five state agencies: Agriculture, Public Health, Revenue, DCEO and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. She’ll also have sway over the Illinois State Police’s policies.
Gov. Pritzker had tried to recruit her into his administration earlier this year, but she declined. Sen. Hutchinson told me earlier this week that she had two big goals when she became a Senator: 1) Reform the state income tax code; and 2) Legalize weed. She helped do both this year and she said it was time to go.
Hutchinson has served in the Senate since January of 2009. She chairs the influential Revenue Committee. She’s also the Immediate Past President of the National Conference of State Legislatures. She became the NCSL’s President-Elect two years ago.
Sen. Hutchinson says she is unsure if she will back a replacement. She would’ve been up for reelection next year, so the petition circulation scrambling will begin soon, if it hasn’t already started. Half of her district is represented by a Republican (Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst), but the other half is heavily Democratic, giving this district a definite D bent. Gov. Pritzker won it by 11 points and President Trump lost it by 11. However, Gov. Rauner won it by just under 4 in 2014 and the late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka won it by about a point. As it stands now, 2020 looks a whole lot more like 2018 than 2014, however.
I’ve known Toi since she ran then-Sen. Debbie Halvorson’s district office operation. Halvorson introduced us at an ABATE function and I thought right away that this young person was going places. And she surely has. Good luck in your new gig, Toi.
…Adding… Senate President John Cullerton…
Senator Hutchinson has tackled some of the toughest issues facing our state, always performing with grace, eloquence and determination.
While her departure will be a profound loss for the Illinois Senate, I congratulate her on her new role and wish her nothing but the best as she continues to serve the residents of Illinois.
Senate President John Cullerton & the Senate Democratic Majority Caucus
Harry Caray’s, 33 W. Kinzie, Chicago, IL
Tickets: $250
Sponsorships: $25,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $5000
Please make checks payable to the Senate Democratic Victory Fund, 1 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 2065, Chicago, IL 60602.
That’s tonight, by the way.
* The Question: Your suggestion for tonight’s fundraiser theme?
* This may or may not be related, but McCook is in Sen. Marty Sandoval’s district…
///BREAKING/// FBI this morning raided multiple locations as part of an ongoing corruption probe, including the municipal building in tiny west suburb of McCook. Story coming.
Confirmed: FBI agents raided Village Hall in McCook, where Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski is Mayor. Tobolski is absent from today’s Cook County Board meeting — but Toni Preckwinkle said he is out sick and bought commissioners Buona beef because it’s his birthday.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Sun-Times is reporting that the Village of Lyons’ town hall was also raided today. Lyons is also in Sandoval’s district. The paper is reporting that “other locations” were raided as well.
*** UPDATE 2 *** This is the mayor of Lyons…
Another breaking news update: The FBI also searched Getty Insurance, the longtime business and political power base of Mayor Chris Getty and his father Ken Getty.
///BREAKING/// Just confirmed the FBI was also at village hall in Summit today conducting investigation. Apparently not a search warrant, but they were there, per an FBI spokesman.
[McCook village attorney Gary Perlman] said investigators were seeking information related to “various contractors that have done work with the village.”
An FBI spokesperson confirmed Chicago personnel were at the village hall conducting an authorized law enforcement action, and had no further comment on the matter.
Jeff Tobolski is the longtime mayor of McCook. The Democrat also serves as a Cook County Commissioner. Tobolski did not immediately respond to a phone message left at village hall and his district office. It’s not known whether Tobolski is a focus of the federal investigation.
Two sources with knowledge of the situation said that FBI agents executed search warrants at the village hall, located at 5000 Glencoe Avenue, at around 7:30 a.m. CST.
One source said the agents carted out several boxes and computer equipment.
Carlos Aparicio, a lawyer on Tobolski’s Cook County staff, said federal agents hadn’t visited the McCook mayor’s county offices, but that’s all he really knew.
* The veto session is about a month away and some fired-up youngsters want the governor to actively push what they and many others consider to be a very important piece of legislation…
The hangup has been that the leaders decided to lump all the energy bills together. Nothing could advance until they were all ready to go. Trouble is, the federal investigation into ComEd has the leaders and the governor’s office so spooked that they don’t want any ComEd bills moving. That means the Clean Energy Jobs Act likely gets stuck, too. Expect more pressure on the governor’s office. I hope to have more for subscribers about this topic tomorrow or soon thereafter.
Streator Township High School Superintendent Matt Seaton warned a panel of lawmakers about carve-outs for renewable energy. He asked a Property Tax Relief Task Force subcommittee to be wary of giving lower assessments to wind energy.
“Solar was reassessed this past year,” Seaton said. “We locally took about a $200,000 [equalized assessed value] hit because we have an active solar farm.”
He said if the reduced assessments were applied to the 200 windmills in his district next, it would be “devastating.”
* The approaching session also means it’s back to press release bills like these…
Two new proposals in the Illinois General Assembly would end a sales tax on car trade-ins before it gets started.
State Reps. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, and Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, introduced bills that would halt the new trade-in tax that became law during the summer and is to be collected starting Jan. 1. Both proposals – House Bill 3890 and House Bill 3891 – would amend the Use Tax Act and Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act by reversing a new law that expands the scope of sales taxes in the state to include used cars’ trade-in value greater than $10,000.
The state currently collects no sales tax on a car’s trade-in value, which in practice acts as credit toward a new vehicle purchase. By law, sales tax only applies to the difference between trade-in value and the new vehicle’s purchase price.
But that changes Jan. 1 after Gov. J.B. Pritzker in June signed into law a proposal to apply state and local sales taxes to any trade-in value above $10,000. The new tax will generate $60 million a year, according to official estimates. Rather than using these vehicle taxes for roads, the revenue will go toward “vertical infrastructure” such as new state buildings and renovations.
* And a congressional candidate talks about a bill she plans to introduce…
As Illinois officials continue to join national officials in investigating illness and death related to vaping, an area State Senator says she plans to introduce legislation surrounding corporate marketing to students.
Republican 38th District Senator Sue Rezin, whose district covers portions of the WSPY listening area, says there is “no question” that vaping is a public health issue.
Rezin says her bill would also create a database at the Illinois Department of Public Health to track any illness from vaping.
[Illinois’ cannabis legalization law] has bonuses for minority owners, which [CEO of Marijuana Business Daily, Cassandra Farrington] believes is laudable but could encourage fraudulent minority ownership controlled by white investors. That in turn could lead to lawsuits challenging state cannabis licenses.
“It is ripe for fraud. You’re going to have a lot of straw man agreements,” said Farrington, whose publication also hosts a leading annual marijuana business expo. “Because of all of that, you’ll see a lot of that end up in court.” […]
The current law is meant to prevent fraudulent ownership by requiring disclosure of all owners with more than 5% interest and disclosure of any management agreements.
“It’s absolutely something we’re mindful of, because you hear a lot of stories about shenanigans in other states,” [Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago] said. “It’s something we’ll try to keep being proactive to prevent.”
Minority ownership scams have been a mainstay of Chicago politics for decades. And even though there are no specific racial minority set-asides in this bill, that’s why the law was written to require disclosure of management agreements and all owners over 5 percent. But even that may not be enough.
* I also reached out to Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), the bill’s House sponsor. Her texted response…
We talked a lot during drafting about how the industry had found ways to work around everything that had been done elsewhere and shared concerns they’d try here. It’s why there are strict rules on disclosure of not just ownership but on management agreements, a common tool for that trick.
That said, we’re hearing rumors of folks trying to find ways around our laws too, so that’s on the list of items we’re discussing in the trailer bill.
As Sen. Steans noted, this needs to be an ongoing process because people will dream up all sorts of ways to scam money.
At Hope School in Springfield, workers who feed and clean and encourage and otherwise help children [with development disabilities] are paid abysmally. It is not the school’s fault. Charity and the private sector can only do so much, and so the government pays. And the worth of labor from folks who care for the vulnerable is the subject of a lawsuit against the state filed by Hope School, which says employees deserve more money.
Consider the job description for a habilitation specialist, which is geek-speak for someone who works in a Hope group home and does a little bit of everything. “The habilitation specialist is responsible for the supervision, program implementation and documentation for a variety of individual daily routines and personal daily living needs for their assigned children,” the school advertises on its website. “Actively participates with youth in all scheduled activities. Consistently assists youth in the area of self-help skills (eating, dressing, toileting, feeding, communication, etc.). Willingly accompanies youth on off-campus field trips. Engages youth in activities as defined/listed in the youth’s activity schedule.”
It is, essentially, the same job as within the school itself, where classroom paraprofessionals do all of the above, plus help educate kids, says Stephanie Barton, Hope general counsel. But the state has decreed that paraprofessionals at the school shouldn’t get a 75-cent raise that’s been granted to habilitation specialists who work in group homes. About 90 workers each would get raises as large as $2,000 if the school wins, according to Barton – all told, it would cost the state about $140,000.
The difference has prompted school employees to request transfers to group homes, and Barton doesn’t blame them. “That’s really hurt our school,” Barton said. “We’ve always said they should get the same rate of pay. We also think that’s what the legislation says.”
Before the ALPLM became a standalone institution in 2017, one year before Lowe came to Springfield, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, now defunct, oversaw the institution, with the IHPA board charged with approving artifact loans. Current law says that the ALPLM is supposed to have a board of directors, but no board has been appointed.
* Gov. Pritzker’s office today…
Ray LaHood will serve as Chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Directors.* With a 36-year career in public service, former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary LaHood has extensive experience in policy areas such as transportation and infrastructure. LaHood oversaw 55,000 employees and a $7o billion budget in charge of air, maritime and surface transportation. Before serving as head of DOT, he represented the 18th District of Illinois in the United States House of Representatives for 19 years, where he served on the House Appropriations and House Intelligence Committees. In addition, LaHood served as Chief of Staff to the U.S. House Minority Leader Robert Michel for 12 years. In his community, LaHood served as the Director of Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau, Chief Planner of the Bi-States Metropolitan Planning Commission and District Administrative Assistant for US Congressman Tom Railsback. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Bradley University.
Joan Brodsky will serve as the Historic Preservation Expert on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Directors.* Brodsky is a current member of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Newberry Library in Chicago, the Board of Visitors of the Syracuse University Library and the Board of Overseers of the Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. A lifelong librarian and conservator, she is the founder and sponsor of an annual endowed lecture series and workshop on book and paper conservation and a sponsor of the Brodsky Lecture Series in support of the JD – MBA Program at Northwestern University. She earned her Master of Science in Library Science and her Bachelor of Arts in Latin and Education from Syracuse University.
Kathryn Harris will serve as a Library and Museum Expert on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Directors.* Harris brings 25 years of ALPLM experience as the former Library Services Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Illinois State Historical Library. In her 43 years of service, Harris has also been the Head of Reference for the Illinois State Library and Public Services Librarian for the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. In addition, she has been a Librarian at Florida International University Library, Miami Florida and the Lincoln Library, Springfield’s public library. Harris has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society, was named a Rail-Splitter Honoree by the American Society of Public Service Administrators and won Woman of Excellence Award from the Springfield YWCA. Harris serves on the Springfield and Central Illinois African American Arts History Museum Board, Sangamon County Historical Society Board as President, and the Abraham Lincoln Association. She earned her Master of Science from the University of Illinois and her Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University.
Gary Johnson will serve on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Directors.* Johnson became the President of the Chicago History Museum after 28 years as a lawyer and partner in international law at Mayer Brown and Jones Day. Under his leadership, the Chicago History Museum has received the National Medal from the Institute for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest award for museums and libraries. Johnson also served for 10 years as President of Museums in the Park. Additionally, he worked as Vice Chair on the Special Commission on the Administration of Justice in Cook County. Johnson is a member of the American Law Institute and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Illinois State Bar Association Foundation, and he served as president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers. Johnson earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, his Master of Arts from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and his Bachelor of Arts from Yale College. He also holds an honorary doctorate from Lake Forest College.
Eunice Santos will serve on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Directors.* Santos is a Professor and Dean of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in the areas of distributed processing, cybersecurity, complex adaptive systems and human modeling. She previously served as a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, Leigh University in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Virginia Tech in the Department of Computer Science and the Genetics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program. Santos was also the founding director of the Institute of Defense & Security and department chair of Computer Science at the University of Texas, El Paso. Santos has received numerous awards, including a National Science Foundation Career Award, the Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Robinson Faculty Award. She earned her PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.
* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
…Adding… Semi-related…
* Illinois State Museum is first in world to return artifacts as part of Australian project to reclaim aboriginal art: Representatives from the Bardi Jawi and Aranda communities will travel to Springfield next month to pick up 42 artifacts, including boomerangs, shields, spears, and body ornaments, as part of an initiative funded by the Australian government to repatriate overseas artifacts called the Return of Cultural Heritage Project, according to a news release from the museum.
Asked if [Sen. Martin Sandoval. D-Chicago] will lose his chairmanship of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, [Senate President John Cullerton] said he’ll “wait and see what happens” — since Sandoval has not been charged.
“I’d like to be informed about what’s going on before I make any decisions,” Cullerton said, adding he has not heard from Sandoval and has not attempted to call him. Cullerton, too, said he has not been approached by federal authorities about the investigation.
I’m not convinced that this is a prudent course for Senate President Cullerton.
Sandoval has served as the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee for the last decade, according to General Assembly records. He was also named one of five co-chairs to Pritzker’s Restoring Illinois’ Infrastructure Committee during the gubernatorial transition last year. […]
Transportation Committee meetings chaired by Sandoval are generally known as a quick affair, often with the senator gaveling in and out within a matter of minutes in the ornate Room 212 of the Capitol building.
The main reason the hearings are so quick is because the bulk of the committee’s real business is generally done behind closed doors. Actually, just one closed door: The door to Sandoval’s office. Federal agents basically cleared out that office this week, so who knows what they were looking for or what they found.
Playbook hears that a letter is being sent to the FBI, calling for the agency to release the names of the companies that Sandoval was allegedly getting kickbacks from. Sandoval’s influence on the transportation committee makes him a critical player in the massive infrastructure bill that just passed the state Legislature “and taxpayers need to know if moneys are being spent wisely,” a source familiar with the letter said.
It’s a pretty solid bet that the feds will not release that list, but Sandoval should probably be moved off the Transportation Committee to be on the safe side.
…Adding… The letter turns out to be from Assistant Minority Leader Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville). Excerpt…
On June 1, 2019, the Illinois General Assembly passed, and it was later signed into law, a $45 billion capital works program. This plan is meant to address numerous capital projects in Illinois, including a substantial amount of work on our state’s transportation system. Spending for this program will begin imminently.
With the troubling allegations surfacing against Sen. Sandoval, I have grave concerns that the state’s precious resources could be allocated to companies that illegally participated in kickback schemes. Therefore, I request at your earliest convenience that you provide the General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Comptroller, the Illinois Tollway Authority, the Illinois Department of Transportation and any other relevant state agencies any evidence you have regarding these allegations to ensure that taxpayers are protected.
* The Illinois Policy Institute is trying to use the Sandoval probe to cast doubt on the entire capital plan and its funding mechanisms…
Was corruption at the heart of Illinois’ gas tax hike?
Capital bills are a feeding frenzy for special interests. And Sandoval held the keys to the kitchen. “Governor signs Sandoval’s $45 billion infrastructure improvement package,” boasts a June press release from the state senator’s website.
Might the feds want to have a word about some of those projects?
According to the Chicago Tribune, authorities are looking into allegations Sandoval used his public office to steer business in exchange for private kickbacks. That’s all we know about the raids so far, other than the fact that prosecutors would have needed to present some serious evidence to justify cracking the Statehouse dome, not to mention Sandoval’s Cicero office and his home. The state senator has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
The Illinois Policy Institute released a report ahead of the capital bill vote this year warning about the need for project selection reform to guard against waste and abuse of taxpayer resources.
Nonetheless, he has influence in the Illinois Senate because he’s chairman of its Transportation Committee. In that role, he was a key player in the recent doubling of Illinois’ gas tax — from 19 cents a gallon to 38 cents. The massive increase is funding $45 billion in public works projects, some legitimate infrastructure improvements and some pure legislative pork.
That’s a lot of money to be floating around, and the competition to get a piece of it must be fierce.
It is in that political maelstrom where proper and improper political influence comes into play.
Keep in mind: Sandoval might be unfamiliar to most rank-and-file voters across Illinois, but he is a consummate insider. Half of Sandoval’s Senate district is represented by Madigan as a member of the House. They work together closely. Sandoval, a member of the Senate for nearly 20 years, also has been mentioned as a possible successor to the Senate president, should John Cullerton of Chicago ever step down. Sandoval’s campaign fund treasurer until 2009 was Danny Solis, the now-scorned and retired Chicago alderman who wore a wire while cooperating with federal authorities in their probe of … we aren’t sure whom.
He and Madigan work together closely? That would be news to pretty much anyone. They were at each others’ throats just last year when Madigan supported Chuy Garcia’s Cook County Board candidate against Sandoval’s daughter. And that decision didn’t come out of nowhere.
Also, he’s been mentioned as a possible successor to Cullerton? By whom? Marty himself?
I mean, have any of those editorial board members been to the Statehouse in this decade?
* Because of its existing medical cannabis dispensary, Carbondale is about to get one new adult use cannabis dispensary and it is seeking a second one that is eligible to go to Jackson County. There seems to be some real enthusiasm by local electeds to use the product to help boost the town’s lagging business/tourism environment. Ald. Adam Loos is apparently the most gung-ho. From the Southern Illinoisan..
There were logistical questions and suggestions from council members. Adam Loos spoke the most. He had a long list of recommendations and thoughts. He said his primary concern was taxing it — he thought the taxes should be low to undercut other counties and “to stamp out the black market” for pot sales.
He also said the sale of cannabis in Carbondale could go a long way to helping bring in tourism.
“I think it puts heads in beds,” Loos said, adding that it would attract people between the age of 40 and 60 years old.
“You’d be surprised how many people in that age smoke pot,” he said.
Loos also pointed out that allowing marijuana sales in town could help recruitment at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In fact, he had a suggestion.
“Change the slogan. SIU: Work hard. Play hard,” he said.
“Heads in beds.” Heh. Get it? That would also be a great jam band name.
I kinda doubt that SIUC will take him up on that slogan, but they had a lot of students when they were known as a party school. Once the town cracked down, however, student population began to decline. The town won the all too common town vs. gown fight and everybody ended up losing.
There were obviously other factors in SIUC’s decline, but look at towns where they work closely with their directionals and you’ll see successful towns and campuses.
A marijuana dispensary has been approved in South Beloit, Ill., just outside Wisconsin.
The city council approved the measure unanimously Tuesday night, after the zoning passed last week.
According to the mayor of South Beloit, the dispensary would be built along Interstate 90. Beloit, Wis. and South Beloit, Ill. are just minutes away from each other, separated by the state line.
Legalization is the first real state-level legal change in years to attract out of state shoppers, along with the new border-area casinos.
* I’ve posted a bunch of press releases from Sterigenics and ethylene oxide opponents, so let’s look at this letter sent to legislators earlier today from business interests…
Date: September 25, 2019
To: Honorable Members of the Illinois General Assembly
From: Donovan Griffith, Director of Government Affairs, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA)
Todd Maisch, President and CEO, Illinois Chamber of Commerce
John Conrad, President & CEO, Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization (IBIO)
Mark Biel, Chief Executive Officer, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI)
RE: Opposition to Further Efforts to Limit or Ban Use of Ethylene Oxide
The aforementioned groups have joined together to express our serious concerns and opposition to any additional efforts to further restrict or ban the use of ethylene oxide (EO) in Illinois.
It is very important to note that ethylene oxide sterilizes over 2.1 million medical devices used in Illinois every day. This product is essentially irreplaceable in its effectiveness to combat infection in hospital surgical settings. In most cases, EO’s use in sterilization of medical equipment is the only method approved by the FDA as EO is the only acceptable method of sterilization for many medical devices. Further, ethylene oxide is a significant building block in the creation of an exhaustive list of life-improving products (see attachment) including essential plastics and pharmaceuticals to cosmetics and clothing. The economic hit of an ethylene oxide ban would be significant, with an initial loss of at least 1,500 jobs in Illinois, including unionized positions.
It has only been three short months since the state of Illinois enacted the most stringent restrictions (SB 1852 & SB 1854) on the use and emissions of ethylene oxide, not only in the United States, but in the entire world.
While our organizations opposed these restrictions, the impacted companies have been extremely responsive in compliance. Major renovation and retooling work is currently underway at significant expense. These improvements are ongoing and take considerable time to implement as much of the new equipment must custom-built and installed.
Unfortunately, these facilities, while in good faith to comply with the strict regulations, are now hit with the possibility of being completely shut down. While facilities haven’t had the opportunity to complete their work (and gather new data on emissions), some legislators want to stop these facilities from either reopening or remaining open. This proposed action is wrong and can only be described as an unsubstantiated movement of the “goal posts.” These companies are making a good faith effort to comply with the law, making it fundamentally unfair to change the rules, a mere three months into the process.
Industry opposed the enacted laws because we, and many others, see the original USEPA risk assessments as significantly flawed. The USEPA sets a risk value for EO at 600-1200 times lower than the background levels of EO found throughout the Chicagoland area and United States (see attached). While industry continues to challenge the USEPA’s original risk assessment of EO, our member companies are working to comply with the new laws to continue to be protective of the public health and environment.
Before any additional action is taken on EO, the General Assembly needs to recognize the considerable impact such actions would have on Illinois industry which depends upon the use of ethylene oxide.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your time and consideration.
State Rep. Art Turner won’t seek re-election in 2020, and political strategist Ty Cratic is the first big Democratic name to try to secure the seat. “I’m running,” he told Playbook. […]
Turner’s departure, first reported in Rich Miller’s blog, comes as he makes plans to marry and make a possible full-time move to Springfield. His brother, Aaron Turner, is also circulating petitions for the Senate seat that their father, former Rep. Art Turner Sr., held for nearly 20 years before he was succeeded by Art Jr.
Both Cratic and Aaron Turner were also mentioned in my earlier story.
Leader Turner has been enormously successful in the House. He’s well-liked and respected by his peers. He will be missed.
* Meanwhile, I tipped subscribers on this last week…
When he ran for a fourth term as mayor of Woodstock, Brian Sager announced it would be his last.
Now he has announced what’s next.
Sager told The Independenthe would campaign as a Democrat for the 63rd District seat in the Illinois Legislature, now held by two-term Republican Steve Reick.
Sager, who will be 67 next month, decried the extreme partisanship in politics generally and the Legislature specifically. Most voters, he said, don’t care about party affiliation as much as they do results from elected leaders.
“They want to send people to the Legislature who are simply willing to work together,” the mayor said. “I have a record of that.”
MARTIN McLAUGHLIN wants McSweeney’s seat. The Barrington Hills Village president, has announced his campaign for state Rep. in the 52nd District now represented by David McSweeney who won’t seek re-election in 2020. The district contains parts of Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. McLaughlin says during his term as village president, he’s lowered spending, lowered the tax levy for five out of the past six years and increased spending on infrastructure. “These are all things that government bodies can and should be doing, including the state of Illinois,” he said in a release sent to Playbook.
